Bradley set to make first title defense

Undefeated WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley, Jr. (29-0, 12 KOs) vs #2 contender Ruslan Provodnikov (22-1, 15 KOs) will take place Saturday, March 16, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California and will be televised live on HBO World Championship Boxing. It will be Bradley’s first defense of the title he won last year by defeating Manny Pacquiao. Former two-time Méxican Olympian Óscar Valdez (2-0, 2 KOs) will highlight the undercard in a six-round featherweight bout. Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum will host a news conference on Wednesday to make the official announcement.